Matt Cain vs Roy Halladay: Career Stats Comparison
Roy Halladay has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (4 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Matt Cain played 2005–2017 as a pitcher; Roy Halladay played 1998–2013 as a pitcher.
- ERA (Earned Run Average):
- Earned runs allowed per nine innings pitched: (ER × 9) ÷ IP. The primary measure of pitching effectiveness.
- W (Wins):
- Games credited to a pitcher whose team took a lead it never surrendered while he was the pitcher of record.
- SO (Strikeouts):
- For a batter, times retired on a third strike; for a pitcher, batters retired on a third strike.
- WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched):
- Baserunners allowed per inning: (BB + H) ÷ IP. Under 1.00 is elite.
Data updated
Matt Cain (2005–2017) and Roy Halladay (1998–2013) — breaking in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, so they pitched against very different hitting environments. Matt Cain finished with 104 wins and 1,694 strikeouts; Roy Halladay finished with 203 wins and 2,117 strikeouts. The numbers below run them through identical career and rate-stat lenses.
Quick answer
- Who had the better ERA? Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Matt Cain's 3.68.
- Who won more games? Roy Halladay, with 203 to Matt Cain's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts? Roy Halladay, with 2,117 to Matt Cain's 1,694.
- Who had the better WHIP? Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Matt Cain's 1.23.
- Who pitched more innings? Roy Halladay, with 2,749.1 to Matt Cain's 2,085.2.
- Who threw more shutouts? Roy Halladay, with 20 to Matt Cain's 6.
- Who has the higher career Pitcher PIV? Roy Halladay, with 66,478 career Pitcher PIV to Matt Cain's 14,596.
Matt Cain
Roy Halladay
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate. Cells highlighted in green mark the player who leads that line. Lower ERA, WHIP and BB/9 lead; higher K/9 leads. 12 of the 16 lines below are scored; the other 4 are counting totals on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded them. Totals where fewer is not an achievement -- losses, walks and hits allowed -- are left unmarked, because they track how long someone pitched rather than how well. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Matt Cain | Roy Halladay |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 104 | Leads: 203 |
| Losses not scored | 118 | 105 |
| Games | 342 | Leads: 416 |
| Games Started | 331 | Leads: 390 |
| Complete Games | 15 | Leads: 67 |
| Shutouts | 6 | Leads: 20 |
| Saves | 0 | Leads: 1 |
| Strikeouts | 1,694 | Leads: 2,117 |
| Walks not scored | 712 | 592 |
| Hits Allowed not scored | 1,849 | 2,646 |
| Home Runs Allowed not scored | 211 | 236 |
| Innings Pitched | 2,085.2 | Leads: 2,749.1 |
| ERA | 3.68 | Leads: 3.38 |
| WHIP | 1.23 | Leads: 1.18 |
| K/9 | Leads: 7.31 | 6.93 |
| BB/9 | 3.07 | Leads: 1.94 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Roy Halladay outpaces Matt Cain 66,478 to 14,596 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 4,155 PIV per season to 1,123, across 16 seasons to 13. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by ERA among qualified workloads (120+ innings).
Matt Cain — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Roy Halladay — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Roy Halladay leads in wins, strikeouts, ERA, and WHIP, while Matt Cain owns K/9. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Roy Halladay. PIV agrees: Roy Halladay grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Matt Cain and Roy Halladay careers compare
From 2005 through 2013, Matt Cain and Roy Halladay were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 342 games for Matt Cain and 416 for Roy Halladay across 13 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Matt Cain are strikeouts per nine (7.31 to 6.93). The per-nine rows read 7.31 strikeouts and 3.07 walks for Matt Cain, 6.93 and 1.94 for Roy Halladay. Matt Cain was mainly a starter (331 starts in 342 games), and Roy Halladay was mainly a starter (390 starts in 416 games). Complete games (15 to 67) show how differently the two eras used starters.
Matt Cain vs Roy Halladay: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Matt Cain or Roy Halladay?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Roy Halladay leads Matt Cain in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who had the better ERA?
- Roy Halladay, with 3.38 to Matt Cain's 3.68.
- Who won more games?
- Roy Halladay, with 203 to Matt Cain's 104.
- Who recorded more strikeouts?
- Roy Halladay, with 2,117 to Matt Cain's 1,694.
- Who had the better WHIP?
- Roy Halladay, with 1.18 to Matt Cain's 1.23.